1/4 A Brief History of Scandinavia Lecturer: Dr. M. Jesenský E-mail:
[email protected] Spring 2020 Introduction The series presents a history of the Scandinavian countries - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland - from the earliest times to the present day. It is intended for participants who have little prior knowledge of Scandinavia and none of its languages. It introduces each country’s history, traditions, politics, society, and culture. History has given the Scandinavian peoples a bent which will not easily be changed. The image is egalitarian. The specific location on the Earth’s surface has kept the Scandinavian peoples always close to Nature. Scandinavia that was once “the unknown north” has come to represent in some special degrees the ideas and ideals of democracy, humanitarianism, and social equality. Week 1: “The Unknown North” (pre-1347) Scandinavia remained a terra incognita far into the first millennium of the Christendom. Then, Europe was taken by surprise with the Viking expeditions in the ninth and tenth centuries. Nevertheless, when in 1016 Danish prince Cnut ascended the throne of England, Viking Scandinavia became an outpost of the Christendom it had so long assailed. King Cnut inaugurated a new era of medieval Scandinavia. Amber, Furs and Slaves The Vikings The Era of Conversions Separate Kingdoms Week 2: The Three Crowns (1347-1613) In 1397, the three Scandinavian kingdoms constituted the second largest accumulation of European territories under a single sovereign, the Union of Kalmar. It was the Reformation, not the Renaissance, which spread the most decisive changes among the peoples of northern Europe.